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“If you’re not assessing, then you’re guessing.”

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Informed Performance

• is a proven training system that will take you as far as you want to go.
• is a real gym and the antithesis of the commercial gym, the health club, and the fitness cult.
• is for results oriented persons serious about training and achieving goals.
• is a supportive club and team atmosphere unlike anything you have ever experienced.
• is for checking egos at the door, buckling down, and working hard.
• is open to everyone to join and train the informed performance way.
• is for individuals, weekend warriors, fighters, martial artists, soccer players, soccer moms, footballers, rugby players, swimmers, basketball players, rowers, tennis players, triathletes, and anyone else that wants athletic and/or aesthetic results.
• takes responsibility for you getting results.
• will not allow patrons to be unproductive, disruptive, unpleasant, or exhibit any other behaviours deemed inappropriate.
• reserves the right to deny or cancel any membership at any time.
• is a proponent of health and fitness and will point you in the right direction if the match is not right.

Strength and Conditioning:

• will@informedperformance.com
• ph: 087-9671830

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA):

• barry@informedperformance.com
• ph: 085-8320174

All other inquiries:

• info@informedperformance.com
• best of all come and visit the facility

Great news people.
We have a brand new MMA beginner’s programme beginning this Thursday night at 7pm and running twice per week. This is an ideal introduction to the sport of mixed martial arts and is designed for absolute beginners to the sport. Each class will have a different focus- stand up fighting, clinch or ground fighting will be covered in each class.

Once again this is for TOTAL beginners. There is no need to have any experience in combat sports to begin, however it is also be suitable for those from other arts to transition into MMA.

The class runs at 6.30pm-7.30pm Mondays, and 7pm-8pm on Thursdays. The cost is €65 for the month which is a special introductory price for this course only.

To sign up, all you need to do is mail barry@informedperformance.com or call 085-8320174. If you’re too shy to do either of those things, you can just call in to the gym on the night. See you there!

Informed Performance Gym is Dublin’s top strength and conditioning gym for sports training, injury rehabilitation, athletic testing and results based training. We offer structured weight training programmes for athletes and general membership.  We house one of Dublin’s most successful mixed martial arts clubs, specialising in brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai and mma training. The article below and all media content is copyright of informed performance and may not be used without permission. For more information on membership see our contact page. Enjoy!

what comes around goes around …

We at informed performance believe in doing things the right way, being transparent, getting results, and the nostalgic notion of karma.  Our aim to provide the best in MMA, strength, and conditioning is why we opened our doors to begin with.  We believe in organic growth through results and subsequent word of mouth.  We draw a distinction between promotion and marketing.  Promotion is getting the word out about what we do and what makes us good.  Marketing is what others do to drum up artificial business.  The “fitness” industry is marketing heavy, substance light, and full of garbage including products, supplements, facilities, gimmicks, packages, outright lies, and certainly the people that peddle them.  All too often, marketing outweighs substance.  At informed performance, substance is all we have.  It lets us sleep at night.

But to you, what does separate us?  What sets us apart?

• our approach?
• our results?
• our abilities?
• our experience?
• our passion?
• our system?
• our people?
• our events?
• our members?
• our equipment?
• our honesty?
• our facility?
• our accents?

Well, better yet, what doesn’t?  Think about it, and go ahead and please comment.  We are open to your suggestions as well as your criticisms.  And put your mouth where your money is and continue bringing in friends and colleagues.  (Take advantage of our continued wember referral program!)

I leave you with a quick youtube video from Coach Ian King.  He was coaching and programming and writing before many of you were even born.  We like him, not only because he’s Australian, but more so because he’s no nonsense, he’s old school, and he’s good at what he does.  And afterall, watching his videos tonight brought about this post. Coach Ian King discusses competency vs. marketing

Informed Performance Gym is Dublin’s top strength and conditioning gym for sports training, injury rehabilitation, athletic testing and results based training. We offer structured weight training programmes for athletes and general membership. We house on of Dublin’s most successful mixed martial arts clubs, specialising in brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai and mma training. The article below and all media content is copyright of informed performance and may not be used without permission. For more information on membership see our contact page. Enjoy!

… afternoon delight*

We’re delighted to announce that our new afternoon Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class schedule is up and running as of today. There’s usually something informal running from about 12pm every day, but we’ve decided to formalise 2 afternoon BJJ classes per week.

Tuesdays- 12pm- 1.30pm and Thursdays 12pm-1.30pm

So come on down if you’re like us and free and easy in the afternoons. The classes are taken by either Paul or Barry and focus on fundamental movements and techniques.

* yes we know what that song is really about

Informed Performance Gym is Dublin’s top strength and conditioning gym for sports training, injury rehabilitation, athletic testing and results based training. We offer structured weight training programmes for athletes and general membership. We house on of Dublin’s most successful mixed martial arts clubs, specialising in brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai and mma training. The article below and all media content is copyright of informed performance and may not be used without permission. For more information on membership see our contact page. Enjoy!

Informed Performance will be holding a Submission Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, August 7th. The format is simple. Competitors will be entered in divisions and will fight off against everyone in that division in a League format. 3 points will be given for a submission victory, and 1 point each of there are no submissions in the time period.

There are 10 spaces available in each division. Full rules and formats are available from Barry Oglesby, Informed Performance Combat Sports Director by mailing barry@informedperformance.com

THIS IS A PRE-PAY ONLY TOURNAMENT. Be fair to to your fellow competitors and the tournament organisers by registering and then guaranteeing your attendance on the day through the pre-pay methods. For more details contact Barry on the above e-mail address.

Informed Performance Gym is Dublin’s top strength and conditioning gym for sports training, injury rehabilitation, athletic testing and results based training. We offer structured weight training programmes for athletes and general membership. We house on of Dublin’s most successful mixed martial arts clubs, specialising in brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai and mma training. The article below and all media content is copyright of informed performance and may not be used without permission. For more information on membership see our contact page. Enjoy!

… but we said no, no no.

Will was on the Boards fitness forum today in a discussion about knee rehab. Now over there they have a sensible rule about medical advice not being allowed on the forum. We understand this as in internetland it’s very hard to divide the expert advice given by, well, an expert, from the bad advice given by the pubescent keyboard warrior.

Fortunately for you, we have a rehabilitation expert in-house at Informed Performance. We also own this corner of the internet so here we can give whatever advice we want. But don’t take our word for it.

“When i tore my right a.c.l. for the second time in a year I turned to Will for a hands-on, professional approach to re-hab. So thorough was the training that I went from leg pressing 50kg with both legs, to 130kg, with each leg, and over 400kg with both. The knee is now as good as new, and I am convinced that had I engaged Will for the re-hab after the first operation, I would not have torn my a.c.l. again” -  D. O’ Keeffe (Basketball)

“I worked closely with Will for many years and while his training was always innovative it was equally practical and I benefited as a result. Having suffered several career threatening injuries, I would credit Will with prolonging my football career through his conditioning methods, particularly with the club after I had retired from inter-county level. I am delighted to endorse Will’s work.”– Dessie Farrell, former Dublin football captain, CEO of the Gaelic Players Assoc.

At Informed Performance, we’re not afraid to nail our flag to the mast and state categorically that we’re the experts in our field. We also like to think we’re good at sharing. So here are some of the very simple things that we do for knee rehabilitation. As always, anyone with specific questions can post on our forum for clarification, where never fear, the responses posted to you will be vetted with a keen eye, and anyone talking rubbish will soon be outed.

Informed Performance Gym is Dublin’s top strength and conditioning gym for sports training, injury rehabilitation, athletic testing and results based training. We offer structured weight training programmes for athletes and general membership. We house on of Dublin’s most successful mixed martial arts clubs, specialising in brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai and mma training. The article below and all media content is copyright of informed performance and may not be used without permission. For more information on membership see our contact page. Enjoy!

The event:

The Irish Amateur Combat Championships will consist of 4 events per year. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The aim of the Championships is to provide a safe competitive environment in which novice combat athletes can test their skills and gain valuable experience. The championships can be used as an end unto themselves for those looking for a challenge, or as a stepping stone to semi-professional or professional bouts.  In addition, the Championship’s position on a Sunday afternoon has brought in positive reviews from spectators as it offers a low cost, easily accessed afternoon of mixed martial arts entertainment. The timing, low admission charge, venue and atmosphere all contribute to make a genuine alternative to a Saturday night prime time show, one which all ages can enjoy.

We are designing this as an amateur event and will promote it as a separate entity to the many Mixed Martial Arts promotions already running in the same way that Amateur boxing is seen as separate to the professional sport. With this strategy we aim to offer competitors and fans a combat sports event without much of the negative elements that go hand in glove with professional MMA in the wider media.

Why take part?

The growth of mixed martial arts has been swift, and with it has come increased opportunities to compete at semi-pro and pro levels. We applaud this; however we feel that the pressures involved with professional promotions is not always in the best interests of novice combat athletes. We feel that our amateur championships can both close the gap between training in a gym and fighting on a large show, and can become a genuine competitive outlet for novice combat athletes who have no desire to compete on the undercard of a professional show. The Irish Amateur Combat Championships will also provide a solution to the difficulties associated with providing competitive opportunities to the increasing amounts of teenage practitioners. In addition, with the stringent matchmaking the Irish Amateur Combat Championships will employ, more experienced athletes may look upon the championships as opportunities to hone their skills, gain valuable heavy sparring time and prepare for larger bouts.

About Informed Performance:

Since its inception in 2009, Informed Performance has become one of the leading lights in providing high quality competitive opportunities for combat athletes in Ireland. Our submission championships have been among the most popular Ireland has ever witnessed, and our first amateur show garnered rave reviews from competitors, athletes and coaches. Informed Performance is a unique company, offering Mixed Martial Arts coaching along with high level athletic training under the one roof. Our programmes are integrated, meaning our combat sports athletes train alongside athletes from more established sports such as Soccer, Rugby, Athletics, Gaelic Football and Basketball. This makes us the ideal company to provide an amateur championships such as these. We feel that our position in the Irish sports market places us in an ideal position to access a market outside of regular MMA show attendees. Much of the positive feedback from our debut amateur show has been from off-season athletes interested in adding something different to their training, as well as teenagers and young adults.

Informed Performance Gym is Dublin’s top strength and conditioning gym for sports training, injury rehabilitation, athletic testing and results based training. We offer structured weight training programmes for athletes and general membership. We house on of Dublin’s most successful mixed martial arts clubs, specialising in brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai and mma training. The article below and all media content is copyright of informed performance and may not be used without permission. For more information on membership see our contact page. Enjoy!

One of our most commonly asked questions is on how we train athletes for speed and agility. In the first video, our Director of Sport Will takes you through some of the drills we do for field and court sports such as Gaelic Football, Hurling, Rugby, Basketball and others. In the second video, you can see one of the teams who train with us, St. Oliver Plunkett’s senior football, going through two of these drills during training. For any further questions and discussion on this video you can register on our forum and ask as many questions as you like.

Informed Performance Gym is Dublin’s top strength and conditioning gym for sports training, injury rehabilitation, athletic testing and results based training. We offer structured weight training programmes for athletes and general membership. We house on of Dublin’s most successful mixed martial arts clubs, specialising in brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai and mma training. The article below and all media content is copyright of informed performance and may not be used without permission. For more information on membership see our contact page. Enjoy!

How do I become a fighter?

This is a question we get a lot, sometimes from new members who are just starting out, and sometimes from existing members who are looking to up their game. Competing in MMA is hard work and not for everyone, but those who want to do so get the full support and backing of all the coaching staff here at Informed Performance. The thing is, they rarely, if ever, do anything special to prepare for fights.

Anesh Bugwandeen is a good example of someone who has come through the programme here. He had never stepped in a ring to compete before. Yet in 6 weeks, Anesh went from a weak guy with some modest Muay Thai skills to a fit and strong guy who won two MMA fights in a week, both by TKO. How did he do it? It’s simple, he just did what he was told, when he was told.

When Anesh walked into the gym in April, he’d had a year’s break from training to study and was out of shape. He had some Muay Thai experience after spending 2 months in Thailand and had done some BJJ with Barry in the old KO Martial Arts Gym (the predecessor of Informed Performance MMA). But he was rusty to say the least. On arrival he said two things:

1. I want to fight

2. I’m willing to put the work in

To his credit he was as good as his word. As a student on his summer break, he had more time than most and was able to train twice per day on some days. He improved his stand-up, clinch and ground skills. He went from being a skinny-fat guy to a muscular-lean guy. From weak to strong, from 5-a-side football fit, to super fit.

At this stage in the story when we tell it, people begin to ask what special programme we put him on, how many secret moves he was shown and so on. The answer is surprising to most people though it really shouldn’t be to anyone familiar with the way we do things here at Informed Performance. There was no special programme, there was no secret training. Anesh did the same thing that everyone at Informed Performance does, he just did more of it, did exactly what he was told and stuck to his task.

For strength and conditioning, Anesh did the iProgram. That’s the same iProgram that every single member of Informed Performance does. Strength (S1 or S2) one day, Conditioning (C1 or C2) the next- repeat for 6 weeks. He did 4 sessions per week plus perhaps one additional session if time allowed.

For his MMA skills, he showed up to classes 3 nights per week. He asked questions when he was stuck, trained hard and listened. He needed to improve his grappling, so he showed up to BJJ classes 2 days per week. He needed to improve his stand up, so he showed up to Muay Thai classes 2 days per week. He needed to improve his MMA so he showed up to MMA class and the fighter’s sessions. These are the same classes that everyone at Informed Performance has at their disposal.

Good coaching is about providing the right training and the right environment for people to succeed. At Informed Performance, we provide the best facility, the best coaching and the most supportive environment for those with the desire to succeed. Anesh had that desire, and we helped him to make it happen. The videos below show the results.

informed performance is all kinds of awesome.  But don’t take my word for it … that’s just what these guys say (click on the image):

(So what if they just quoted Will stating that we are awesome.)